Joseph Looney 1805

( Clyde's G-G-G-Grandfather )

---

Joseph LOONEY
Born:  March 6, 1805, in Botetourt County, VA
Died:  December 10, 1884 in Buchanan County, VA 
Father: John Looney, Jr.
Mother: Elizabeth Walker

Notes:
Joseph Looney, oldest child of Elizabeth (Walker) and John Looney, Jr., was born March 6, 1805, in Botetourt County, Virginia. He was probably nine years of age when his father's estate was appraised and continued to live with his mother and step father until about 1823, when he, with his brother John, left home to follow their Uncle Robert and his family who had moved from Botetourt to Russell County, a few years before. In 1826, when he deeded his share of his father's inheritance to his step father, William E. Reynolds, he was living in Russell County. He was a Justice of the Peace in this county, in 1832, when he witnessed the deed of his father-in-law, Robert Looney to Harry Smith for 247 acres. Joseph himself purchased 100 acres on Sandy River, near Grundy, Virginia from Robert on December 28, 1832. He died in this part of Buchanan County on December 10, 1884. It should be noted here that the present day Buchanan County was formed in 1858, from Russell and Tazewell Counties and although the land is recorded in Russell County, it actually lies in the present day Buchanan County.

Joseph was married first to Ruthie Shortridge who died after having a family of' three children.  Then on June 14, 1829, in Pike County, Kentucky, he married next his first cousin, Polly Looney. She was the daughter of Robert and Catherine (Stover) Looney, born November 23, 1810. She too died, March 30, 1852, and Joseph was married for the third time on November 3, 1853, to Melissa Shortridge, the sister of his first wife, Ruthie. Joseph was almost 80 years old when he died December 10, 1884, and is buried in a cemetery at Vansant, Virginia. To these three unions,twenty-two children were born. Three by the first marriage, nine by the second marriage and ten by the third marriage.

---

Joseph married ( 1st )
Ruthie Shortridge
Born: 
Died: 
Father: 
Mother:

Joseph and Ruthie had the following children:

1. Elizabeth (Betty) Looney, born in 1824, in Tazewell (now Buchanan) County, Virginia, died September 24, 1904, in the same area. She was married January 29, 1846, in Vansant, Virginia, to Walter Matney who was born in 1820, in Tazewell County, the son of Walter and Charity (Charlotte) Alatney He died December 12, 1881, in Buchanan County. They were the parents of' eleven children, all born in what is now Buchanan County.

2. Joseph Looney, Jr., born November 26, 1826, was the second child of Joseph, Jr., and Ruthie (Shortridge) Looney. He died September 24, 1898, at Conaway, Virginia He married first, November 17, 1848, in Pike County, Kentucky, to Louisa (Vicey) Childress. She was born about 1831, and was the mother of four children. He married second, to-Lucy (Elswick) Looney, the widow of his first cousin, John Looney. Lucy was born about 1838, and died April 25, 1919, at Big Rock, Virginia. Joseph was a farmer and a member of the Baptist Church at Conaway, the church services being held in his home many times. He also was clerk of the congregation for many years. His wives were also members, as well as his sons.

3. John Looney, was probably born in 1827, since he is listed in the 1860 Census, aged thirty-three years of age. He died about 1890, in Pike County, Kentucky, where he lived. He married three wives from this county, the first occurring November 30, 1848, to Mary Ann Childress, the daughter of Flem Childress; the second occurring October 6, 1853, to Emertie Rowe who is believed to be a daughter of' Jacob Rowe; and the third, occurring May 15, 1872, to Elizabeth Bentley_ ~ Jackson, the daughter of' Benjamin and Anna Ramey (Bentley)(Jackson.~) There were two children by the first marriage, nine by the second marriage and four by the third marriage.

---

Joseph married ( 2nd )
Polly Looney
Born: 
Died: 
Father:  Robert Looney
Mother: Catherine Stover

Joseph and Polly had the following children:

4. William Looney, born March 27, 1830, in Tazewell County, Virginia, (now Buchanan), was the first child of Joseph and his second wife, Polly (Looney) Looney. His marriage May 15, 1856, to Elizabeth Jane Yates, born in 1831, daughter of Richard and Sally Yates, is recorded in the Tazewell County Courthouse. Elizabeth died June 10, 1921. They lived on Slate Creek, near Grundy, and courthouse records show that William served as President of the board of Supervisors for the first meeting after the fire which consumed and destroyed the Buchanan County Courthouse in 1885. They had a family of four children.

5. Henry Looney, born November 24, 1831, in Buchanan County, Virginia, was the i'ifth child of Joseph and the second child of Polly (Looney) Looney. He lived all his life in the Vansant area where he died on March 21, 1897. He was married January 20, 1853, in Tazewell County (now Buchanan), to his first cousin, Elizabeth Looney who was born January 2, 1835, the daughter of John (Jackie) and Cynthia (Deskins) Looney. Elizabeth died December 8, 1914, and is buried at Vansant, Virginia with her husband. Henry was in the Civil War. Both he and Elizabeth were baptized by John Wallis and were members of the Old Primitive Baptist Church at Big Prater. Henry was a Farmer and alter his death, suit was instituted in 1897, to partition his 1296 acres of land among his ten children.

6. Mathias Looney, born June 16, 1833, was married January 17, 1861, in Buchanan County, to Sallie Shortridge who was born June 21, 1841, in the same county. They had eight children.

7. Malinda Looney, born December 21, 1834, died in 1874, in Buchanan County, Virginla. She was the seventh child of Joseph Looney and the fifth child of his second wile, Polly Looney. She was married May 7, 1857, in Tazewell County, Virginia, now Buchanan, to Julius Ratliii who was born in 1834, and died September 27, 1886. He was the son of Abednego and Louisa (Vicey Matney) Ratlili. They had a family of live children, all born in Buchanan County, Virginia.

8. Catherine Looney, born April 16, 1837, was married September 6, 1859, in Buchanan County, Virginia, to John Sherman Ratliff, who was born about 1818, in Tazewell County, Virginia, and probably died in 1891, since the probation of his will began February 18, 1891. John was the son of Richard and Lydia Ratliff. They were the parents of six children.

9. Sarah (Sallie) Looney, born December 14, 1840, died July 21, 1841.

10. Robert Looney, born June 13, 1842, was the tenth child of Joseph and the seventh child of Polly Looney. He probably died in 1914, since his will was probated April 21, 1914. He married Courtney Yates who was born May 6, 1884, and they had a family at six children, all of whom were born in Buchanan County, Virginia.

11. Daniel Looney, born February 5, 1844, the eleventh child of Joseph and the eighth child of' Polly Loony married Amy Yates and they had a family of eleven children.

12. Emoline Looney, born in August of 1848, died in Monroe County, West Virginia, and is buried in Sinks Grove, West Virginia. She was the ninth and last child of Polly Looney. She married Jacob Vandyke who was born March 11, 1849. They were the parents of five children.

---

Joseph married ( 3rd )
Melissa Shortridge
Born: 
Died: 
Father: 
Mother:

Joseph and Melissa had the following children:

13. James Looney, born August 21, 1856, was the first child of Melissa and Joseph Looney. He married Virginia Yates, first, and had a son, then he married again on June 11, 1894, in Buchanan County, Virginia to Isabel Stanley. He was married for the third time on October 12, 1910, in the same county, to Nancy Margaret Honaker. There were two children by the first marriage and three by the second marriage, but no issue by the third marriage.

14. Silket (Silk) Looney, born December 24, 1855, died May 22, 1939, at Vanaant, Virginia. He was married to Pricy Jane Slone and they had nine children, all born near Vansant, Virginia.

15. Polly Looney, born August 4, 1857, died June 23, 1859.

16. Mary Jane Looney, born March 7, 1859, fourth child of Melissa Looney, was married January 15, 1874, in Buchanan County, to Robert Yates who was born March 25, 1850. They had a family of ten children.

17. Nancy Looney, born March 29, 1861, died March 18, 1862.

18. Miles Harvey Looney, born April 3, 1863, attended medical school in Louisville, Kentucky. His tuition was paid with money he acquired by running timber and rafting logs out of Buchanan County. He came back to the county, and married Lettie C. Slone, who was born August 10, 1865, and they were the parents of fourteen children. Dr. Looney practiced medicine for over thirty years in the Deskins, Leemaster, Prater, Garden Creek, Hurricane and Vansant areas. He traveled on horseback throughout the area, day and night, to care for the sick. During the influenza epidemic of 1918, it is said that he lost only two patients on his list of over three-hundred. Dr. Looney died on January 15, 1920, and was buried at Dry Fork Cemetery located on the property deeded for use as a cemetery by his father.

19. Perlina Looney, born April 7, 1865, the seventh child of Melissa and Joseph Looney, died May 11, 1896, in Buchanan County, Virginia. She was married about 1882, in Buchanan County, to J. L. (Dow) Perkins, who was born March 8, 1858, the son of Harvey and Lucinda Perkins. They had a family of eight children, all born in Buchanan County.

20. Lydia Margaret Looney, born July 1, 1867, died October 1, 1957, was the eighth child of Melissa and Joseph Looney. She was married to John Witt Elswick who was born October 8, 1863, and died February 7, 1931, at Dry Fork on Big Prater Mountain. They had nine children.

21. David Looney, ninth child of Melissa and Joseph Looney, was born on November 20, 1869, at Big Prater Creek, in Buchanan County, and died March 18, 1934, at Coopersville, Ohio, after a long illness. He was married November 8, 1889, to Mary Catherine Vandyke who was born on November 27, 1871, the daughter of Frederick and Nickeytie Vandyke. Mary died May 4, 1951, seventeen years after the death of her husband. David and his wife spent the greater part of their lives at Vansant, Virginia, moving to Ohio in 1917. They were the parents of thirteen children, all born at Vansant, Virginia.

22. Caroline Looney, the last child of Malissa and Joseph Looney, was born February 20, 1872, and died September 27, 1875.

---

Source: 'Then Along Came Joe - A Walker Family History" - Wilma Walker Dunlap

 

---

If you have additional information or find a correction that needs to be made,
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT.